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concern you but this is important stuff."
"Concern me?"
"Oh no, nothing to fret about. So can we meet?"
"Okay." Denise looked back at her watch. "How about half six?" She realized she needed to call Randa and let her know she had arrived back in England
safely.
"Fine by me."
"Right, see you then Carl."
"Later, DJ."
Falling back upon the bed's surface Denise stared at the rotating ceiling fan. She knew Randa would still be sleeping after having pulled an all night shift
on the Brightwood site last night so decided to leave a message on the answer phone. Looking at the telephone handset still within her hand she followed
the guidelines for making an outside call. Randa always turned the telephone off when she was sleeping during the day so DJ knew she wouldn't have to
risk the chance of waking her lover. After the recorded message finished Denise waited for the beep.
"Hi, it's me. Just want you to know that I got here okay. God& I think I miss you already. I have this great king-size bed and you are not here to share it with
me. Anyway I am in room six fourteen; call me reversed charges to this room whenever you can okay. I love you. Bye."
Disconnecting the call, Denise forced a weary sigh through pursed lips. She decided a shower might help to clear her mind and lying doing nothing just
reminded her of how much she was beginning to miss Randa. Decision made, the poet headed towards the shower.
***
The Belmont Hotel boasted three exclusive restaurants and each one offered a high-quality variety of world cuisines. From Eastern dishes to European
mixtures the three restaurants combined to offer a first class selection of tempting delights.
Denise Jennings walked into the large tenth floor restaurant, scanning the wide semi circled room. In the centre stood a grey stone waterfall in the shape
of an open oyster shell. A gentle trickle of water flowed out from the top of the stone shell and cascaded in rivulets down into the circular pool underneath.
The rest of the floor space was covered in tables and as DJ's eyes searched out her friend a smartly dressed man in a black tuxedo and strong oriental
features suddenly appeared by her side.
"Ma'am, do you have a reservation?"
Denise looked down at the slight man and then once again out over the patrons in the restaurant. She wondered whether she had dressed smartly enough
in her simple black trousers and tight red sleeveless top. "Yes I'm here to meet a Mr Lloyd. I don't seem to be able to spot him."
"Ah yes& follow me please."
With a shrug Denise followed the small man to the far side of the room. She weaved her way around the maze of neatly dressed tables making a mental
note of some of the dishes available. Ahead of her she soon recognised a familiar crop of dark blonde hair.
"Table seventeen," said the waiter.
Denise nodded her appreciation. "Thanks, could you bring a jug of water to the table please?"
"Certainly, madam, I'll just be one moment."
The waiter headed towards the kitchen as Denise approached her friend. She sidled up behind Carl stealthily and placed her lips beside his ear. In as
husky a voice as she could muster Denise said, "Been waiting long, honey?"
The editor's frame literally jumped as he spun around in his chair. His eyes relaxed as he spotted Denise, then lit up as he studied the poet. "DJ! Wow
what the hell happened to you?" he sprung from his chair and regarded Denise closely casting an appreciative eye from head to toe. "Is this what a
couple of months in the States does to you?" He stepped closer. "Nice tan!"
Denise smirked, "If you study me any closer, Carl, you might just discover the absence of tan lines!" She rolled her eyes and hugged her friend. "So how
are you?"
"Excited DJ, very excited!" Carl retook his seat and Denise sat opposite him. "Tomorrow's the big day!"
"Yes." Denise looked down at her empty wine glass and circled her finger over the rim.
Carl frowned as he asked, "Nervous?"
"Just a little."
"Hmm." Carl nodded his head and decided to momentarily change the subject. "So& how is Randa?"
Denise smiled immediately. "She's great."
"I wish I'd had time to talk to her at the funeral," Carl paused hoping he hadn't just brought to surface any painful memories for the poet but at her simple
nod he continued. "I only know her as the nurse who looked after Sara and the woman who remained by your side that entire day."
"She would like to have spoken to you too." The poet chuckled as she said, "She doesn't understand how I always seem to answer the telephone
whenever you call and she never gets to say hello."
The waiter interrupted their conversations as he brought a jug of iced water to the table. He handed them both a menu before disappearing to another
table.
"So," Carl opened his maroon, leather-bound menu as he continued. "No tan lines you say? Please tell me you haven't turned into one of those beach
babes who spends her entire time catching rays and drinking cocktails down by the surf?"
"The beach?" Denise stated, "I haven't set one foot on a beach since I have been there. This is just from the garden. Believe me& I did have a few tan
lines to begin with but decided I didn't like them! Fortunately Randa's property provided plenty of seclusion for that not to be a problem!"
Denise thought back to the first time she had decided to lay out under the hot June sun, "'o' natural" as she had called it. Randa had been sleeping after
working all night and had wandered into the garden mid-afternoon to find one very naked poet lying peacefully under the sweltering heat of the sun. DJ
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